MRO's Archives - Page 84 of 122 - Aviation, Inflight and Aero Connectivity Consultants

Safran Electrical & Power to Supply Propulsion Systems for Aura Aero Electric Aircraft

Safran Electrical & Power is partnering with AURA AERO to conduct studies of the electrical architecture needed for AERO’s 19-seat electric regional aircraft (ERA) pictured above. (Photo courtesy of AURA AERO)

Last week, Safran Electrical & Power announced a partnership with AURA AERO, a startup created in 2018 that develops fixed-wing electric aircraft. Safran has agreed to supply propulsion systems for two of AERO’s new aircraft. Safran’s smart ENGINeUS electric motor will be integrated into the two-seat Integral E light aircraft from AERO, which will also feature the GENeUSGRID electric distribution and protection system. The Integral E pilot training aircraft could take flight for the first time this year, and first deliveries are expected to commence in 2023.

The agreement between these two companies includes collaboration on the electrical architecture studies for AURO AERO’s planned 19-seat Electric Regional Aircraft (ERA), ensuring that the high direct voltage propulsive architecture will be capable of delivering the necessary power. AERO may begin flights of its hybrid-electric ERA in 2024, and the team plans to start commercial service in 2027.

The ERA’s electric architecture will also include power for the other systems within the aircraft that are non-propulsive. AERO is designing these aircraft with an estimated range of 900 miles. “As part of the joint aim to industrialize the production of electric aircraft, Safran is providing its rare expertise in high-voltage networks, which is needed for the Integral E and ERA architectures,” said AERO’s co-founder and chief programs officer, Wilfried Dufaud. Both AERO and Safran have made decarbonization of the aviation industry a strategic priority, as evidenced by this newest collaboration. AERO has made a commitment beyond reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 in contributing to the reduction of emissions by 55% by 2035.

Hervé Blanc, General Manager and Executive Vice President of the Power division at Safran Electrical & Power, remarked on the new partnership: “This agreement bolsters our position as a key player in the fields of equipment electrification and electric and hybrid propulsion. It also marks two Toulouse-based companies—both firmly established in the Occitanie region’s industrial fabric—working together.”

Safran Electrical & Power, part of Safran Group, develops aircraft electrical systems using its expertise in equipment electrification and the electric and hybrid propulsion sector. Safran E&P was one of 11 organizations that consulted with the FAA in the development of special conditions for certifying electric propulsion systems, published last September. These special conditions provide standards for companies to achieve type certification of electric aircraft propulsion systems.

The ENGINeUS electric motors that will power AERO’s Integral E aircraft are modular and scalable, simplifying integration into vehicles. The direct drive propulsion power pods, according to Safran, maintain “optimization of the propulsive function of new mobility platforms and hybrid turbomachinery.” The GENeUSGRID energy management system that will also be featured in the Integral E aircraft is capable of managing a combination of high-voltage batteries and generators, and it uses electrical protection to maintain system integrity. “Its protection components,” according to Safran, “are of the solid-state relay type—Solid State Power Controller, pyro-fuse or electromechanical contactors.”

Safran Electrical & Power’s Hervé Blanc explained the significance of the partnership with AURA AERO, including the collaborative effort to conduct the electrical architecture studies on the electric engines’ high direct voltage propulsive architecture for the ERA aircraft. Blanc stated, “These projects are in line with our strategic aims: they feature breakthrough technologies, have a low-carbon footprint and are electrically powered.”

The post Safran Electrical & Power to Supply Propulsion Systems for Aura Aero Electric Aircraft appeared first on Aviation Today.

—————
Boost Internet Speed–
Free Business Hosting–
Free Email Account–
Dropcatch–
Free Secure Email–
Secure Email–
Cheap VOIP Calls–
Free Hosting–
Boost Inflight Wifi–
Premium Domains–
Free Domains

OPINION: Critical Cleaning Helps to Propel Avionics Reliability

It is critical that the Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs) inside avionics systems work long-term without interruption. In this opinion article, Emily Peck provides some insight on the importance of ensuring PCBAs inside avionics systems are properly cleaned to ensure long-term reliability and performance.

Avionics helps to control just about every part of an aircraft. From communication, monitoring and navigation, to flight control, collision avoidance and fuel and weather systems; avionics are integral to an aircraft’s functionality. It goes without saying that because of its importance, components used within avionics must be manufactured precisely to ensure reliability. There is no room for error as the consequences would be catastrophic.

It is critical that the PCBAs (Printed Circuit Board Assemblies) inside avionics systems work long-term, and continue to work, without interruption. A key step in the challenge to guarantee reliability is precision cleaning.

Contamination – A Main Cause of PCBA Failure

Production of avionics systems must include precision manufacturing and the accurate assembly of highly complex PCBAs. Components used within avionics require not just long-term functionality, but they must also stand up to rigorous regulations and standards. One example is IPC-A-610 Class 3. This is the highest standard of the IPC (Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits) with the most stringent manufacturing requirements. This standard is aimed at products whose performance is critical, for example in aerospace and military applications.

On top of that, there is the challenge of ensuring the PCBA withstands the harsh conditions found in aircraft including extreme temperatures and high humidity to radiation, chemicals and excessive shock and vibration.

Furthermore, avionics are becoming smaller and more multifaceted. The increasing demand for miniaturized PCBAs to operate modern avionics systems, and the extremely complex nature of these assemblies, which incorporate delicate components on compact, densely-packed boards, can prove to be a reliability risk if not manufactured and assembled correctly.

One of the main causes of electronic device failure is contamination of the PCBA. The smallest amount of debris can form a barrier between electrical contacts. If the contamination isn’t cleaned, the PCBAs run the risk of intermittent or complete field failure. Dirty PCBAs are susceptible to a whole host of problems. This can include everything from electrochemical migration and delamination to parasitic leakage, dendrite growth and shorting. This is why cleaning is crucial to ensuring the reliability of a device, but it is becoming increasingly more challenging as PCBAs become smaller and smaller.

Finding a Process that Critically Cleans

All PCBAs in the aerospace sector require cleaning during production to remove contaminants like flux, dust, marking inks, oils or inorganic contamination resulting from the manufacturing process. This, however, is more difficult due to the reduced PCBA’s size and complexity.

Smaller assemblies housing PCBAs that are multi-layered with hard-to-reach areas makes cleaning extra tough. Removing contamination under and around tightly-spaced components is difficult and can lead to a greater likelihood for insufficient, weak solder joints, bridging, and dendrite growth. If the contaminant is not cleaned properly the risk of board malfunction is high. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure cleaning procedures are in place and work effectively to guarantee clean boards every time.

Finding a cleaning process that ensures critical cleaning is completed successfully can be a challenge. There are many factors that must be considered. It needs to be a process that can easily and reliably clean miniaturized electronic assemblies and meet specific cleaning standards. It must also be a method that is sustainable and cost-effective.

One of the most reliable methods to effectively clean PCBAs is with a vapor degreaser. Vapor degreasing not only ensures the cleanliness of the PCBA, but also meets the economic and regulatory requirements within aerospace and aviation manufacturing.

The Mechanics of a Vapor Degreaser

Vapor degreasers offer a simple process that is very successful at removing contaminants. When used with advanced cleaning fluids it is extremely effective at thoroughly removing contamination from every area of the PCBAs.

A vapor degreasing machine contains two chambers, a boil sump and a rinse sump. In the boil sump, the cleaning fluid is heated and the parts are immersed and cleaned in the fluid. Once cleaned, the parts are mechanically transferred into the rinse sump for a final clean in a pure, uncontaminated fluid.

The cleaning fluids used within the system have multiple chemical properties that are advantageous to critical cleaning. The low viscosity and surface tension ratings of modern cleaning fluids used within a vapor degreaser, combined with their volatility, allow them to easily infiltrate and clean very tight spaces like BGAs, MLFs, QFNs, and D-Paks often found within avionics assemblies. Most vapor degreasing fluids also are very heavy and dense, typically 20-40% heavier than water used in aqueous cleaning. This aids in dislodging particulate from the components, an important factor when cleaning mission critical PCBAs.

Critically for PCBAs found within avionics, vapor degreasing can handle the most challenging and complex shapes with the parts coming out clean, dry and spot-free to ensure they meet specific standards like IPC-A-610 Class 3.

Future-Proof Cleaning for Reliable Avionics

There is no question that the aerospace industry is reliant on high-performing printed circuit boards. Avionics, and the PCBAs used within them, enable aircraft to be automated, safer and more intuitive thanks to its cutting-edge technology. Avionics will continue to be critically important as the industry pushes towards the next generation of aircraft and the idea of autonomous flight.

As avionics plays a bigger role, the importance of ensuring these systems, with their complex miniaturized PCBAs, work unfailingly becomes even more important, particularly in an industry where the smallest margin of error could mean a life-threatening outcome.

A critical step to ensure PCBA functionality is through cleaning. Vapor degreasing is an effective solution to increasing quality and reliability. It ensures contaminated PCBAs are not the cause of device failures. The advanced next-generation cleaning fluids used within the vapor degreaser allow for better PCBAs to be built and deployed, therefore creating new capabilities for the future of avionics.

Emily Peck is a senior chemist at MicroCare, LLC, she has been in the industry more than six years and holds a MS in Chemistry from Tufts University.

The post OPINION: Critical Cleaning Helps to Propel Avionics Reliability appeared first on Aviation Today.

Wisk, Xwing, Elroy Air Weigh In on Future Autonomy in Advanced Air Mobility

In a recent panel discussion, industry leaders discuss the requirements for safe, autonomous operations in the future ecosystem of advanced air mobility. (Photo, courtesy of NASA)

Ensuring the safe and successful integration of autonomous aircraft into the existing ecosystem involves maturing the technology, infrastructure, and the aircraft themselves. A panel discussion at NASA’s AAM Ecosystem Working Groups Workshop last month featured representatives from electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Wisk, autonomous flight technology company Xwing, and hybrid-electric VTOL developer Elroy Air. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Deputy Director of Regulatory Operations, Policy & Innovation Division, Victor Wicklund, also participated in the panel discussion, called “Later UMLs & the Future of Autonomy.”

Wisk’s team is currently working on their sixth-generation aircraft, a fully electric and autonomous vehicle, according to Director of Product, Infrastructure, and Operations Erick Corona. He emphasized the importance of quiet operations in designing aircraft for the future advanced air mobility (AAM) ecosystem. “When we talk about the customer, it’s not just the flying public. It’s the communities as a whole: they are a part of the customer ecosystem, and we are delivering services to them, either directly or indirectly. This is an urban air mobility problem, period.”

Another focus at Wisk is designing their aircraft to maximize utilization of existing infrastructure. Within urban environments, said Corona, there is underutilized infrastructure that is suitable for AAM operations. Taking advantage of existing infrastructure means less new construction and minimized disruption to local communities.

In February, Wisk announced a two-year-long partnership to conduct a study on AAM operations and their economic impact, and will collaborate with the Long Beach Economic Partnership. The joint effort will analyze the economic impact and workforce development of AAM integration as well as community acceptance and outreach, the integration of autonomous advanced air mobility operations into city transportation plans, and funding opportunities with the federal and state governments.

Wisk’s Erick Corona also foresees that future AAM infrastructure, and vertiports in particular, will need to be compatible with all types of VTOL aircraft. “It doesn’t make sense to have infrastructure that is unique to one aircraft,” he explained. “That would be extremely expensive and detrimental to the entire industry.”

NASA’s “Later UMLs & the Future of Autonomy” panel was moderated by NASA’s Wes Ryan (top left). Victor Wicklund of the FAA also contributed his insights to the panel discussion (pictured at the bottom right). Featured participants included Maxime Gariel, Xwing (top center); Erick Corona, Wisk (top right); Terik Weekes, Elroy (bottom left); and Todd Petersen, Ellis & Associates (bottom center).

Maxime Gariel, CTO of Xwing, remarked that a priority for enabling autonomy in the AAM ecosystem will be digitalization of air traffic control. Moving to a more digital air traffic control system will facilitate the management of AAM operations in urban airspace as various autonomous aircraft take to the skies. “That’s something that the FAA really has to drive,” added Gariel. “It’s a huge challenge for regulators to look at the amount of data that’s being produced. The more we can embed the FAA early on, the easier it will be to understand what’s happening.”

Xwing’s Maxime Gariel told Avionics in an interview last year that their team works closely with the FAA to bring their technology to market. “We are running two tracks simultaneously. The first track focuses on certifying individual components of the system through supplemental type certificates. Our first STC focuses on the detect and avoid system and is currently underway. The second track focuses on optionally piloted and unmanned flights, which uses non-certified technology, but operational limitations to mitigate risk. This will allow us to perform revenue operations without requiring full certification.”

At Elroy Air, the focus is on middle-mile logistics for automated cargo delivery. “It’s not just about operations in the air, but also about having robust ground operations to really reduce the impact of a cargo operation,” stated Terik Weekes, Chief Engineer at Elroy. “We are flying a fully-featured hybrid electric aircraft this year,” he added. Elroy Air recently announced a partnership agreement with FedEx Express for flight-testing Elroy’s Chaparral VTOL aircraft. They plan to begin flight testing and evaluating Chaparral’s potential for cargo carrying operations by next year.

A main concern in achieving future autonomy goals for advanced air mobility is establishing a mature ecosystem for suppliers, Weekes explained. “We’re dealing with relatively novel aircraft configurations. What that means is that not every company can vertically integrate and develop every single technology.” It will be important to understand the basis and the timeline for maturing those first-generation aircraft, and to have the ability to certify novel configurations and increasingly complex technology in order to release subsequent generations of aircraft.

Victor Wicklund of the FAA encourages autonomous aircraft developers to work with the organization early on, “even if you think you’re not ready for certification,” he said. “We’d like to understand your objectives and goals to help identify what needs to be done to enable that [pathway to certification].”

“We do recognize that certification alone is not enough to introduce these new concepts and aircraft into the system. We will help foster the communication with air traffic control and flight standards to help establish a path for integration. We’re there to help identify limitations that we have to make sure those standards meet regulatory needs. As far as airport and vertiport requirements, we [want to] understand everyone’s objectives and drive some of that industry collaboration. The more we can share among industry, the more successful we’ll be.”

The post Wisk, Xwing, Elroy Air Weigh In on Future Autonomy in Advanced Air Mobility appeared first on Aviation Today.

2021 Collier Trophy Awarded to NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team

The National Aeronautic Association awarded the 2021 Collier Trophy to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team. (Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech)

The Robert J. Collier Trophy has been awarded by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) every year since 1911 for achievements in astronautics and aeronautics. For 2021, the trophy’s recipient is NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team. The award recognizes the team’s accomplishment in April 2021 of performing the first powered, controlled aircraft flight on another planet. NAA Chairman Jim Albaugh remarked in the organization’s announcement that it was an immense challenge to fly a helicopter autonomously in Mars’ atmosphere, and such an accomplishment is certainly deserving of the 2021 Collier Trophy.

The President and CEO of the NAA, Greg Principato, commented on the announcement in an emailed statement to Avionics International: “History shows that every time we do something previously thought impossible, we learn things well beyond what was required for any one particular mission. Ingenuity has already paid off; the extra missions it has flown have discovered features on the Martian surface that would have been detrimental to the rover, but which could only be seen from the air.

“The fact that this is flying autonomously, and the adjustments that had to be made to ensure it could fly, will yield information that could be used across a variety of platforms. It also increases our understanding of stresses various kinds of materials can withstand. The fact that it has captivated the nation will inspire more people to enter aviation fields. This is an incredible accomplishment, deserving of great respect and we are truly looking forward to presenting the Collier Trophy to the Mars Ingenuity Team.”

This image depicts the first flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on April 19, 2021, taken by cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. (Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)

Forty-four aviation and aerospace professionals participated in the Collier Trophy Selection Committee, and selected the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team from four potential nominees. The committee included representatives from the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), Airbus, Embraer, Electra.aero, Bombardier, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), GE Aviation, Textron Aviation, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce North America, Safran USA, and Garmin International, amongst several other companies and organizations.

The award will be formally presented during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in June.

The NAA has awarded the Robert J. Collier Trophy, pictured above, on an annual basis since 1911. The trophy recognizes “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use.” (Photo courtesy of the NAA)

The Mars Helicopter performed this incredible feat, a 30-second hover flight, in April 2021 after rising 10 feet above the surface of Mars, achieving a total flight time of 39.1 seconds. Ingenuity originally landed on Mars in February 2021. NASA robotics electrical engineer Jaakko Karras commented on the possibilities of exploration on Mars—despite the low atmospheric density—in a presentation at the 2022 Transformative Vertical Flight event. In operating the helicopter, he said, the team had to consider several factors such as the low temperatures on Mars and the need to develop a self-sufficient solar power system. The flight dynamics and controls for the helicopter were invented from first principles because of Mars’ thin atmosphere, according to the NAA. Karras added that it was necessary to enable autonomous operation of Ingenuity due to the planet’s distance from Earth and the impossibility of real-time communications.

The NASA/JPL team expanded the flight envelope by 100 million miles, stated Interim Director Larry James. “It was the efforts and ingenuity of those women and men who developed and tested cutting-edge vehicles before us that helped make powered-controlled flight on another planet possible,” James said. “That our Mars Helicopter name will now appear on this iconic trophy alongside so many of these air and space giants is an honor, and fuels us to continue exploring the skies over the Red Planet.”

Ingenuity now serves as a science scout to investigate safe routes for the Perseverance rover on Mars. Cumulative flight time for the helicopter is now over 43 minutes. Ingenuity has also accomplished all of the technology demonstration goals set out by the team. According to the NAA, “The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team displayed exceptional creativity, perseverance, and dedication to advancing the state of the art in aeronautics and astronautics.”

The post 2021 Collier Trophy Awarded to NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team appeared first on Aviation Today.

SkyWest Airlines Becomes Launch Customer for Bombardier CRJ Cockpit Display Upgrade

SkyWest Airlines is the launch customer for a Pro Line 4 flight deck display upgrade on its fleet of Bombardier CRJ aircraft, including the CRJ pictured here that SkyWest operates as a Delta Connection aircraft for Delta Air Lines. (SkyWest Airlines)

SkyWest Airlines has been confirmed as the launch customer of the TFD-4000 liquid crystal display (LCD) upgrade for the Bombardier CRJ’s Pro Line 4 flight deck.

Thomas Global Systems, the Australian avionics manufacturer that makes the TFD-4000, first launched the LCD display as a drop-in replacement for the cathode ray tube (CRT) displays that are featured in the CRJ’s Pro Line 4 flight deck two years ago. At that time, the TFD-4000 was announced along with an unnamed launch airline, which Thomas Global has now confirmed as SkyWest Airlines.

Now, after recently releasing another CRT-to-LCD display upgrade in February for several other business jet models, the company has confirmed that the TFD-4000 achieved Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification in early March.

Thomas Global Systems developed the TFD-4000 as a CRT-to-LCD display upgrade for Pro Line 4 flight decks. (Thomas Global Systems)

“Bringing the TFD-4000 drop-in LCD solution to CRJ and other Pro Line 4 operators is a huge accomplishment and a key step in helping our Pro Line 4 customers get the most from their flight deck investment,” Thomas Global CEO, Angus Hutchinson, said in a statement. “We deeply appreciate and thank SkyWest for choosing Thomas Global, and for their important role in making the TFD-4000 LCD product launch and rollout a success.”

The TFD-4000 is one of several CRT-to-LCD display upgrades developed by Thomas Global in recent years. In February, the company launched the TFD-4100 as a cockpit display upgrade option for the EFD-4077 CRT displays currently installed in a range of business aircraft with Pro Line 4 avionics, including Bombardier Challenger 604, Dassault Falcon 50EX/2000/2000EX, Gulfstream G100/G200, Learjet 60, Beechjet 400A, and Hawker 400XP. Other versions include the TFD-7000 Series that has been adopted by a number of commercial and military operators, including Delta, Japan Airlines, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Thomas Global has developed its display upgrades as “plug and play” CRT replacements, with no changes to cockpit panels, wiring, or flight crew re-training required.

The SkyWest fleet includes three different Bombardier CRJ models, including the CRJ200, CRJ700, and CR900. SkyWest is on track to start receiving its first certified TFD-4000 displays for its CRJ fleet by “mid 2022” according to Thomas Global.

The post SkyWest Airlines Becomes Launch Customer for Bombardier CRJ Cockpit Display Upgrade appeared first on Aviation Today.

EASA Publishes Guidance for Vertiport Design

EASA recently published design specifications for vertiports in the EU. The above illustration depicts a potential vertiport design in a congested urban area based on standard parameters calculated from the area required for a VTOL to perform take-offs and landings. (Photo courtesy of EASA Prototype Technical Design Specifications for Vertiports, p. 74)

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently published the world’s first vertiport design specifications. The document, titled “Prototype Technical Design Specifications for Vertiports,” provides technical guidance and best practices regarding the necessary ground infrastructure for future urban air mobility operations in Europe.

In developing these recommendations, EASA coordinated with leading vertiport companies and manufacturers of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Two vertiport operators that were consulted are the Spanish multinational company Ferrovial and Skyports, provider of infrastructure solutions for UAM and cargo drone deliveries. EASA also consulted manufacturers including Airbus, ASD Group, Lilium, and Volocopter to inform their recommendations.

EASA’s next objective is to “develop a full regulatory framework for vertiport design and certification, operations, and oversight of vertiport operators in the context of a rulemaking task (RMT.230 Introduction of a regulatory framework for the operation of drones),” the agency told Avionics International in an emailed statement. This RMT will create a foundation for the global vertiport market that takes into account the broad range of stakeholders that play a part in urban air mobility (UAM).

A Notice of Proposed Amendment for the new regulatory framework will be published during the second half of 2023, and EASA expects to publish the Opinion for the Implementing Rules in the first half of 2024.

A diagram that shows geometry-based VTOL-capable aircraft stands (Photo courtesy of EASA Prototype Technical Design Specifications for Vertiports, p. 40)

According to the agency, “EASA guidance offers new and innovative solutions specifically for congested urban environments” and for designing vertiports that take into consideration the capability of performing vertical take-offs and landings. The representative from EASA highlighted one particular aspect of the recommendations that differs from today’s heliports—”the concept of a funnel-shaped area above the vertiport, defined as an obstacle-free volume. This concept is tailored to the operational capabilities of the new VTOL aircraft, which can perform landings and take-offs with a significant vertical segment.”

“Depending on the urban environment and on the performance of certain VTOL-capable aircraft, omnidirectional trajectories to vertiports will be also possible. Such approaches can more easily take account of environmental and noise restrictions and are therefore more suitable for an urban environment than conventional heliport operations, which are more constrained in the approaches that can be safely applied.”

EASA plans to recommend the Prototype Technical Design Specifications for Vertiports to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for developing harmonized global standards for vertiport design. While developing the design specifications, EU member states, VTOL aircraft manufacturers, and industry experts confirmed that EASA’s latest guidance is applicable for numerous stakeholders in the EU, including urban planners.

The post EASA Publishes Guidance for Vertiport Design appeared first on Aviation Today.

Lilium Starts the Next Phase of Flight Testing in Spain

Lilium has begun the next phase of flight testing for its eVTOL aircraft at the ATLAS Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo, Spain. (Photo courtesy of Lilium)

Lilium announced this week that it is now performing test flights in Spain using the Phoenix 2, the company’s 5th generation technology demonstrator. This next phase of flight tests is taking place at the ATLAS (Air Traffic Laboratory for Advanced Unmanned Systems) Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo. The Phoenix 2 aircraft previously underwent successful flight testing in southern Germany in 2021. Lilium plans to perform a full flight test campaign at the ATLAS Flight Test Center over the next several months.

Although flight testing has already begun, another demonstrator aircraft—the Phoenix 3—is scheduled to arrive this summer for its first flight. With the addition of a second demonstrator, the Lilium team anticipates being able to accelerate the flight test campaign significantly as well as reducing program risks, according to the media release announcing the flight test.

A spokesperson from Lilium told Avionics in an emailed statement, “We’re excited to have kicked off our flight testing in Spain. We moved our test campaign to the ATLAS Flight Test Center for the excellent weather conditions as well as the optimal infrastructure.”

As testing continues, the plan is “to extend the flight envelope through full transition and high-speed flight.” The ATLAS Center provides a large, unpopulated area for aircraft testing, including high-speed wing-borne flight. “The modern facilities and support from the Andalusian Foundation for Aerospace Development (“FADA”) and Center for Advanced Aerospace Technologies (“CATEC”) have been instrumental in setting Lilium up for a successful flight test campaign,” according to Lilium.

The Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium, Daniel Wiegand, expressed his excitement at having started this phase of flight testing. “This step takes us even closer to reaching our goal of creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, low noise regional air mobility,” he remarked.

Pictured is Lilium’s 5th generation technology demonstrator performing a test flight in Germany. (Lilium)

Lilium’s aircraft is a five-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet. The design of the 7-Seater eVTOL configuration was revealed just over a year ago. Lilium also announced a merger with Qell Acquisition Corp. at the same time and became a publicly listed company.

Last year, Lilium shared news of two partnerships that have accelerated development of their 7-Seater Jet and brought them closer to launching operations. In July, the battery manufacturer CUSTOMCELLS agreed to provide customized, high-performance lithium-ion batteries for Lilium’s eVTOL aircraft. A $1 billion purchase order from Brazilian airline Azul S.A. made headlines in August 2021. The airline agreed to partner with Lilium and build an exclusive network for the 7-Seater Jet in Brazil.

In March 2022, NetJets—a fractional aircraft operator—entered into a purchase agreement with Lilium for up to 150 of the six-passenger aircraft. In the collaboration, Lilium expects to implement a fractional ownership model to offer the eVTOLs to private individuals in addition to extending their commercial offering through direct sales.

Up until the end of March, the team at Lilium had anticipated achieving certification in 2024 from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In a message from CEO Daniel Wiegand on March 30, the timeline for certification was pushed back to 2025. “Based on the current status of our design activities to develop the safest possible aircraft, our discussions with regulators, and even taking into account two years of COVID and the continued global supply chain disruption, we plan to start building our first handful of conforming aircraft—the only type of aircraft that can be used for certification—next year (2023),” he wrote. “Upon completion of the conforming aircraft build process we will then spend the following 15–18 months running our final test campaign.”

The post Lilium Starts the Next Phase of Flight Testing in Spain appeared first on Aviation Today.

New Universal Avionics Connected FMS Technology Ready to Fly This Year

Universal Avionics provided a demonstration of its new FlightPartner—pictured here—and FlightReview “Connectivity Ecosystem” applications during the 2022 Aircraft Electronics Association’s annual convention last week in New Orleans. (Universal Avionics)

The new “Connectivity Ecosystem” technology from Universal Avionics that gives pilots the ability to connect their iPads to their flight management system (FMS) could see its first passenger-carrying flights this year, according to a demonstration of FlightPartner and FlightReview provided to Avionics International during last week’s Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) convention in New Orleans.

Universal Avionics first launched its new connected FMS technology as the cloud-based FlightPartner and FlightReview “Connectivity Ecosystem” iPad applications during the 2021 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference and exhibition. Both iPad apps are hosted on a secure data cloud maintained by the Arizona-based avionics maker and are capable of two-way communications, data collection, and uploading and downloading of FMS and other avionics systems data.

FlightPartner is the more pilot-centric of the two applications, allowing pilots to build and file a complete flight plan on their iPad, upload it to the FMS upon aircraft power-up, and dynamically alter it throughout the flight. The application is also capable of managing navigation or synthetic vision system database updates for the FMS.

Jean-Marie Bégis, director of product management and partnerships for Universal Avionics, provided a demonstration of how pilots can also use FlightPartner to send re-routing updates wirelessly to the FMS directly from their iPad using a tablet and FMS at their booth at AEA. Based on flight planning actions performed by the pilot, such as pre-populating the flight plan with winds and temperatures aloft, the app delivers updated flight plan trajectory and routing data to the FMS before and during the flight.

When flight plan changes are entered directly into the FMS by the pilot, whether to avoid a storm or due to an air traffic controller request, the app—which is tightly coupled to the FMS navigation data—is automatically updated. Aircraft that are equipped with high-speed connectivity also give FlightPartner the ability to optimize and re-route the trajectory of the aircraft based on weather, turbulence, and other flight environment updates.

The complete setup used by Universal Avionics to provide demonstrations of how its new connected FMS technology works. (Universal Avionics)

“You don’t need connectivity on the aircraft to connect the iPad to the FMS,” Bégis explained. “The two-way communication with the iPad is through Wi-Fi.”

When an update is sent to the FMS from the iPad, a notification appears on the FMS display that the pilot must accept or reject in order to authorize an update to the route that the aircraft is following.

“It’s ring-fenced for safety critical avionics systems,” Marc Bouliane, vice president of business development for Universal Avionics, said during the demonstration. “It’s not an exchange of a password or anything like that, the FMS must recognize the QR code provided by the iPad when a re-route or other update is submitted wirelessly. That QR code is how the iPad provides its credentials to the FMS. If it doesn’t see that QR code, then you cannot access the network.”

How was UASC able to give its existing Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) FMS the ability to communicate with iPads over Wi-Fi? The centerpiece of this connected FMS enablement is the company’s Solid-State Data Transfer Unit (SSDTU) that has an Ethernet databus connection linking it to the FMS, flight data recorder, communications management unit, terrain awareness and warning system, and all of Universal’s other flight deck components. The SSDTU, which also has Universal Serial Bus (USB) and Secure Digital (SD) media ports, acts as a centralized uploading and downloading center for database and other system data uploads and updates transmitted to and from FlightPartner and FlightReview—the other new iPad app that also communicates with aircraft systems.

The SSDTU, pictured here in the center, is connected to all other line replaceable unit elements of the Universal Avionics flight deck system. (Universal Avionics)

Working in tandem with FlightPartner is FlightReview, the more maintenance-focused of the two applications that collects flight operational and avionics systems performance data exchanged between the FMS and the iPad and uploads it to the Universal Avionics “cloud-based infrastructure.” Once the data is uploaded to the cloud, authorized maintenance and flight department personnel can remotely review data that has already been collected after a flight or access a live-view of how individual systems are performing in-flight.

The connected FMS concept enabled by Universal Avionics is similar in functionality to advancements developed by other avionics manufacturers that have enabled similar wireless tablet-to-FMS connectivity in recent years. In the June 2019 edition of Avionics International Magazine, for example, we provided an overview of connected FMS technologies developed by Honeywell Aerospace and GE Aviation. The focus for Honeywell was allowing for filed flight plans to more easily be transferred from an iPad application to the FMS without manually entering them. GE’s connected FMS also allows for dynamic flight plan optimization while en route with a focus on exploiting connectivity for weather and other updates.

Garmin’s Flight Stream 510 Multi Media Card (MMC) also uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to allow business and general aviation pilots to wirelessly communicate with their GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigators through the mobile Garmin Pilot application.

Universal’s Bégis said that the initial focus for the company is to enable its new connected flight deck concept for operators with FlightPartner and FlightReview. However, eventually they want to incorporate third-party flight planning applications.

“We don’t need to recreate or reinvent everything; this new connectivity ecosystem is being developed to enable third party applications. This way we can start bringing in flight plans from those most used and reputable third-party applications,” Bégis said.

Bouliane confirmed that Universal has secured a launch customer for its new connected FMS technology, an unnamed airline. The company expects to start performing its first connected FMS installations and upgrades by this summer, which means it could start being operated on passenger carrying flights later this year.

The post New Universal Avionics Connected FMS Technology Ready to Fly This Year appeared first on Aviation Today.

Drone Company to Launch Small Urgent Package Delivery in Ireland

Manna Drone Delivery is beginning official operations soon after performing nearly 90,000 test flights. (Photo courtesy of Manna Drone Delivery)

This week, Manna Drone Delivery is planning to launch commercial operations of its custom-developed aerospace grade drones. The company claims it is the largest drone delivery operation in Europe, and has raised a total of $35 million in venture capital funding since 2018. Manna has been operating since 2020 in Ireland and has recorded about 5,000 real-world deliveries between the suburbs of Galway and Dublin. The team has also performed close to 90,000 test flights to date. The upcoming launch will happen in Balbriggan, a suburb of Dublin.

Manna’s head of U.S. operations, Andrew Patton, recently shared some details about the company’s progress and upcoming goals in an interview with Avionics International. “Expect to see partnerships with some extremely large multinational brands in the second half of 2022 or the first half of 2023—both in the U.S., where we will fly in 2022, as well as internationally,” he stated.

One challenge that Manna’s team hopes to solve is determining how to connect unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management with current manned air traffic management (ATM) surveillance systems. “There is still a lot of ambiguity as to how this looks at scale,” according to Patton. For Manna and other small UAS companies, the existing regulatory framework enables significant development. Patton explained, “The regulations—especially in Europe—allow us to get pretty far down the track for a long time, meaning it’s really on us to continue developing the technology, operations, and demonstrated expertise that the regulators are going to need to give us a set of rules that can truly allow us to scale without limitation.” Another important factor is Europe’s U-space regulatory framework, which will become applicable in early 2023.

“It’s really on us to continue developing the technology, operations, and demonstrated expertise that the regulators are going to need to give us a set of rules that can truly allow us to scale without limitation.” – Andrew Patton, Head of U.S. for Manna (Manna Drone Delivery)

An advantage of Manna’s business model is the scalability that is enabled by the software platform they use to manage overall operations. “We have a lot of technology developed in-house,” Patton said. The company’s “simple but robust hardware and software in our system allow safe, simple operations,” in particular for last-mile deliveries in the U.S. and Europe. “We have utter commitment to the direct-to-backyard use case—extremely focused on suburbia, and on delivering at low cost,” he emphasized.

Patton foresees improvements in mechanisms for electronic conspicuity being rolled out and adopted to facilitate integration of drones into the manned aircraft airspace. He added, “Very low-power ADS-B In receivers would be very interesting on low-altitude drones.”

He also predicts that urgent package delivery with low payloads will become ubiquitous in urban areas within the next 10 to 15 years. “It’s going to be far cheaper, more environmentally friendly, safer, and a more efficient, better customer experience than any other type of delivery,” Patton noted. With urgent package delivery, he said, the incremental cost of ordering items will ultimately drop to zero—much like ordering packages on Amazon Prime, where there is no added charge for delivery.

(Manna Drone Delivery)

Long-term, Manna Drone Delivery’s team intends to focus on vehicle safety, reliability, speed of delivery, and minimization of carbon footprint, as well as the development of technologies to accomplish these goals. “We will contribute a lot with hardware development or overall system development,” Patton said. “We also want to be a good actor: we think a lot about how this fits into a manned traffic management system where other companies might join us in the skies in a safe and organized way. We think about how that UTM system connects to manned aviation and how we ensure safety there, and how we integrate with retail, broadly speaking.”

The post Drone Company to Launch Small Urgent Package Delivery in Ireland appeared first on Aviation Today.

Next Generation Perigon Flight Control Computer to See First Placement in Defiant X Helicopter

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Boeing has selected the Collins Aerospace Perigon flight control computer for its Defiant X advanced utility helicopter. (Collins Aerospace)

The next generation Collins Aerospace Perigon flight control computer has received its first airframe selection as it will become a central part of the avionics featured on the Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant X advanced utility helicopter.

Defiant X is the co-axial rigid rotor being developed by Sikorsky and Boeing that has been selected as a finalist for the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition that aims to find a replacement for the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Collins Aerospace first launched Perigon as a next generation vehicle management computer in 2018, and achieved some major program milestones last year with its development by adding AdaCore and Lynx Software Technologies as embedded software and processing suppliers.

Kim Kinsley, vice president and general manager, environmental and airframe control systems for Collins Aerospace, commenting on the selection, said that Perigon’s “enhanced processing power will allow it to integrate numerous DEFIANT X functions, including flight control, utility management, prognostic health and advanced flight modes such as autonomy.”

Defiant X will also be equipped with an “optionally-piloted flight control system,” according to Lockheed’s overview of the platform.

Collins Aerospace is developing a next generation flight control computer, Perigon, and expects it to be ready for qualification testing by the end of this year. (Collins Aerospace)

During an interview with Avionics International last year, Darryl Woods, general manager of the flight control systems division of Collins Aerospace, explained how the use of multicore processors, an input/output (I/O) card, and high-speed backplane will give Perigon “20 times the processing power of its existing flight control computers.”

Perigon features three dissimilar multicore processors, each capable of individually achieving 1 gigahertz (GHz)—or a billion clock cycles per second—processing power.

In addition to Perigon, Collins will also supply the armored pilot and co-pilot, cabin crew, and troop seats for the Defiant X. The Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Boeing team developing Defiant X has also added the Irvine, California-based division of Parker Aerospace to supply flight controls, while Fort Worth, Texas-based Elbit Systems of America will provide the mission system computer.

Boonton, New Jersey-based Marotta Controls is providing electrical power system components for Defiant X, while the team also previously announced Honeywell Aerospace as the supplier of its new HTS7500 turboshaft engine to power the helicopter.

The post Next Generation Perigon Flight Control Computer to See First Placement in Defiant X Helicopter appeared first on Aviation Today.

Category Archives: MRO’s

Contamination – A Main Cause of PCBA Failure

Finding a Process that Critically Cleans

The Mechanics of a Vapor Degreaser

Future-Proof Cleaning for Reliable Avionics